- May 3, 2024
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The Ormond Beach Fire Department is making extra strides in the name of finding a cure.
Fire Chief Bob Mandarino was 15 years old when his mom had a mastectomy.
Though Angela Mandarino passed away this last year, the mastectomy helped her live cancer-free for forty years.
"She had her mastectomy way back in the day, when the technology wasn't there," Mandarino said. "That was back in the 70s. There wasn't much awareness out there and people weren't really talking about it."
Mandarino said the mastectomy was unexpected for his family and even for his mom before she went in for surgery.
"She was just going in for a procedure and next thing we know they had removed a huge mass," Mandarino said. "It was different for our family. We weren't educated back then and we didn't know what was going to happen. I don't think she was really expecting it when she went in. But she did good through the whole thing. I'm glad she lived to see 85."
So, when the Ormond Beach Firefighters Association asked Mandarino if they could support breast cancer awareness by wearing pink T-shirts for the month of October, he was all in. Firefighters will not only be wearing the pink shirts, but will also sell them for a minimum donation of $15. The proceeds will go to the Susan G. Coleman Foundation.
"All these causes are important, there are just so many out there," Mandarino said. "It is just a healthy initiative for everybody."
Driver Engineer Eric Sommerlad has been cancer free for three years and proudly supports the fire department's initiative.
"I find those causes very worthwhile," Sommerlad said. "It just seems to fit well for October. It's a good cause."
"Personally, I've had a lot of family members that have had different types of cancer," Driver Engineer Bill Baranowski said. "I don't know anybody that has had breast cancer specifically, but when my mother and grandmother would go for their checkups I could see the worry in their eyes. It's a big deal."
Each Ormond Beach fire station will also support breast cancer awareness by displaying a large, pink ribbon on the outside of its buildings.
"You can't have a month for every type of cancer," Baranowski said. "But you support wherever you can. That's what we do. That's what the job does. We support the community wherever we can."
Anyone interested in buying a T-shirt to support the fire department's fight for a cure, can call 676-3255.
